What Shall I Do?

Isn't it perfect? Well, NO, not PERFECT! But it could be!! It's too big for a corner or beside a bed. But could be perfect for the porch....redone and painted maybe? Or should I stick in the middle of the foyer with a pretty cover? Like this? What shall I do my wonderfully creative bloggy friends! I just gotta get in on this little carnival.....I want TREASURE!!! Tell me YOUR ideas!

Smartie pants...

Big Boy is getting smarter every day. Not that he was ever dumb. We've always found him pretty insigtful. Every once in a while he comes up with something that makes us laugh out loud. And realize that he is growing into a very funny little guy.

Little Guy was hitting the wall. I asked him to stop. As always, it fell upon deaf ears and Little Guy continued hitting the wall, making a loud thud noise every time. Then Big Boy decides he needs to get into the picture and tells his brother to hit it.
"Hit it, Little Guy" he says.
"No" I reply, "Don't hit it".
"Hit it" states Big Boy.
"NO!" is my reply, again.
"Hit it" Big Boy says again.
"Big Boy, quit telling him to hit the wall. I told him to stop." I say.
"No Mama, I want him to start the music. You know, Hit It!" he replies.

I'm not sure if he's a budding Ray Charles or just a total smartie pants. Jeez.

Everyone is always surprised...

that I grew up a farm kid. And that surprised ME?! It seems glaringly obvious to me. After all, if you were in my brain, you would see this....




Oh how I YEARN to go home soon! Take me home, country roads....

And since this is definitely one of the FINER THINGS in my life, I thought I'd hook y'all up towards Amy's blog to what others are up to for their Finer Things Friday party. Enjoy!

Hurricane Prep Kit

We live in Florida and were here in 2004 when we Hurrican Charlie and his whole posse decided to pass our way. I was 8 months pregnant with Big Boy and went through 4--yes, friends, 4--hurricanes in the final month of my pregnancy and another right after he was born! It was crazy! So in honor of the beginning of Hurricane Season 2009, I thought I'd show my list and crate of hurricane prep items.

First, we make sure that we have the following ready for the event:

--Generator is checked and ready to go

--Fill 5 gallon gas can

--Batteries--both rechargeable and regular

--3 flashlights

--Candles

--Matches

--Dogfood

--Paper towels, toilet tissue

Then at the first indication that a storm is actually on it's way, I start to gather my food and perishable items in case we are out of power. In the event we are out of power, the generator should last us about 48 - 72 hours and run not only the refrigerator and freezer but allow us some TV usage as well. So we are never quite out of power at our house. Here is what I look to put into the food crate:

--Several gallons water for drinking and hygiene. At least 1 gallon per person, per day so we try to keep about 10-12 around the house.

--Canned protein such as chicken, tuna

--Non-perishable condiments such as mayo, ketchup and mustard. Usually this is from my stash from any fast-food stops we've had in the past several months

--Bread

--Canned fruits

--Chips/crackers

--Nuts and dried fruits

--Breakfast bars

--Juice boxes

We eat up everything we can prior to the storm to avoid food spoilage as much as possible. Sadly, this is where being very frugal and stocking up does NOT help you! It's impossible for us to get through all our items that we have stocked in the freezer. We always have paper plates and plastic utensils on hand. We just make sure we check our supply on those items.

The one thing we still do not have is a weather radio. We really need to get one. I don't get too excited because our neighbors and friends across the street have one. Hopefully they'll be home when the storm hits!

Here is where you can go for the most updated Hurricane info. This is a place we go to when we want to really see what is going on. Sometimes you just have to get away from the local hype and get the scoop. It helps that SH is very well versed in weather, how to read it and what it means!

Even if you don't live in an area where hurricanes hit, it helps to have these items on hand in case of a tornado or snowstorm. It's funny....I have friends and family from the Midwest that think we are crazy for living where hurricanes hit. But now that I've been here and survived through several, they don't bother me too much. It helps that we usually know they are coming so we can be as prepared as possible.

Head on over to We Are That Family this week for more Works For Me Wednesday tips and tidbits!!

Chicken Quesadillas

We LOVE chicken quesadillas!! We have these little beauties just about every single week. It is one of our favorite, frugal and easy dinner menu items. Leftovers are wonderful as well! Enjoy these and then head on over to Blessed With Grace for a bunch more great summer recipes!

Chicken Quesadillas

1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 (8 inch) flour tortillas
Ranch salad dressing

Salsa

In a bowl, combine chicken, onion, mozzarella and cheddar; set aside. Spray one side of each tortilla with nonstick cooking spray. Place tortilla greased side down on hot griddle. Place chicken on half of each tortilla. Fold over and cook over low for 1-2 minutes on each side of until tortilla is golden brown. Cut into wedges. Serve with dressing or salsa. I always put together a little salad on the side to go with.

Friend Makin' Monday!

Over at All That Is Good....we're makin' friends! Kasey is asking what our Top 10 Favs for summer are. Here are mine:

1. Longer days! I love that the sun shines pretty brightly from about 6am to 8pm. It makes the day long and luxurious! I can get a bit of a mid-day nap and STILL have tons of time to get things done. If we hit the beach for the entire day, you feel like you've been gone ForEver!

2. Water, water, everywhere! If you've read anything on this blog in the past week or so, it's been about WATER! Kids love it, we love it....water is GOOD!

3. Fresh summer veggies! One of the things I'm most anticipating for our trip home to Iowa this year (besides my bestest friends wedding! WOOHOO!) is the fresh summer sweet corn and veggies straight from Mom's garden! Oh I can't wait for the green peppers, corn, tomatoes. We'll gorge on veggies for two weeks straight!

4. Open air! We open our windows and doors as much as possible and let the fresh air in. That's another part of going home....they don't have a/c so we spend the whole time either outside or the house with all the windows open. Love that breeze!

5. Swimming lessons. This year we are starting the boys in their swimming lessons. Oh I can't wait!

6. Watermelon! Yummy, juicy, juicy, JUICY watermelon! Oh. My!

7. Summer rains. Here in Florida, we tend to get a summer rain in the middle of the afternoon. It's short, sweet and usually to the point. Doesn't mess up your whole day. Very refreshing. Love the way new rain smells and we love listening to the thunder.

8. Pedicures! Can I always have toes that look like this?

9. Shorts and T-shirts. Our summer staples. Comfy, casual, perfect.

10. Vacations. Summer feels like it's the time to take vacations. Even if you take them other times of the year. Summer vacation is a requirement in life, right?

I hope you all have a terrific summer! And head on over to Kasey's place to make some new friends this summer!

Kid Friendly Friday

This is something we are taking advantage of several times this summer. Free summer movies at participating theatres! Check them out! We have a Cobb Theatre nearby and they offer free G- and PG-rated movies for kids, three times a week! Now many of these movies are ones that our boys have seen, mainly because their Daddy is a MOVIE FREAK! They watch movies all the time! But how fun to go to the theatre and watch it there, on the big screen! Another outlet for us to practice social skills as well! Love this opportunity for our summer fun! Check out your local theatres and see if they offer free kid's movies during the summer months as well.

Enjoy more Kid Friendly tidbits over at I Blame Mom! Have a great weekend all!!

Summer Fun!

Chrissie--a very artsy, talented Mommy--is have a great little blog party too!! She's lookin' for all sorts of summer fun for the kiddos. I've been posting a lot of ideas lately so if you wanna see what we're doing this summer, check out this or this or this.

Then head on over to in His Grace for lotsa other frugal and fun activities with the 'chillins'!!!

Paint Party!!

It's a lovely PAINT PARTY!!

Melissa over at 320 *Sycamore is having a really great little party this week. She decided to get together with a bunch of paintin' fools like me and show off our fav COLORS of all time. I'll admit I'm a bit paint shy. I don't think of myself as too bold with my colors. But here are a few my very fav ones in the house:

The spare bedroom just got done so there isn't much to show you. This is Valspar Violet Evening. The plan is complete the room in black, silver and chartreuse accents. It's still a plan in the works...

Our kitchen in Valspar Churchill Hotel Olive. I absolutely LOVE this color! The red just really pops against the green and it goes with everything!

Behr's Cranberry Zing. It's bold. It's amazing. It was my first paint job in the house. Take note friends....lay down some primer when doing red. This is 5 COATS of paint!!! I'll never forget that weekend as long as I live!!

Head on over to Melissa's for more wonderful ideas in fantastic colors. Color yourself WILD!!

It's been raining a LOT lately

Sometimes, you don't need water.....you just need a little imagination!

CANNONBALLLLLLLLL!

MOM! I'm Bored!

This week over at We Are That Family is the Mom! I'm Bored! version of Works For Me Wednesday! As in....kids complain Mom! I'm Bored! and this is what you do with them so they'll shut the yap!


Luckily, our little guys are well, little, yet. And Little Man doesn't even know what bored means yet. Big Boy has said it a couple of times and when I ask him what that means, he can't really figure it out yet.


Nonetheless....here are a couple of resolutions to that complaint of Mom! I'm Bored! at this house:


Watering plants, the yard, whatever gets them outside and in the water! This usually keeps them happy for an hour or so.

Car washes go over great yet! Protective equipment is completely optional!

Now I'm headin' over to We Are That Family for more tips on what to do when the kiddos are bored. I'm takin' notes! Have a great day!!!!

I'm a Runner?!

Believe it or not, friends, I am signed up to do this:



I'm doing it in September....which means I have plenty of time for training and NO time to procrastinate! I'm actually the runner in a relay team so lest you think I'm really superhuman...I'm doing a third of the tri! HA! But I just like to say I'm TRAINING for a TRIATHLON and let everyone come to their own conclusions! Tee hee....

So I'm back to reading this book:



It is an excellent reference book for any runner, new or old. I used it a few years ago when I ran my first 5K and it was a great reference for all things running related. Helped me to prevent injuries and to deal with the inevitable soreness and shin issues.

So here I am friends....coming out of the closet! I'm running this Triathlon and hopefully, another 5K or two before Christmas. Nothing like signing up and paying a few entry fees to make a person get off their proverbial duff and get MOVING! I'll keep you up to date on my progress!

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday!

It's a crazy week my friends! Here is a quick TMTT recipe that is a classic in our family. Quick, easy, frugal and yummy! Enjoy!!


1 pkg. hot sausage, kielbasa or summer sausage
1 small onion
1 Tbs olive oil
1 pkg. yellow rice mixture

Cut up sausage or kielbasa into bite size pieces. Slice onion thin. Carmelize onion in olive oil. Add sausage. Brown onion and sausage together.

Cook rice according to package directions. We use the yellow rice in the Spainish section of the grocery store. Serve sausage and onions over rice. Yumm!!

Sorry for no picture friends. We ate it all! Have a great Tuesday and visit Grace's Mom for more TMTT recipes and goodies!!

Words worth saying

Yes Goodnight
No Sorry HA!
Stop
Go LoveU Cuddle

ARGH! Maybe?

NOW!

Stinky Help Pray Thanks

Precious God



Clandestine

Water Play

One of our very fav SUMMER ACTIVITIES is WATER play!! It teaches so many different skills for little ones. When playing in water, children learn science concepts, math concepts, eye-hand coordination not to mention cooperation and sharing skills. We do all sorts of things in water, including sprinklers, "washing" cars, washing pets and one our favs, filling a huge plastic bin with water and toys! The boys love to throw various toys and kitchen items in to see what floats and what will sink! We then talk about the differences in HEAVY vs. light (see? science folks!!) So get yourself and the kiddos out in the sun this summer and PLAY IN THE WATER! It's SO fun!



Go on over to I Blame Mom for more wonderful Kid Friendly tidbits for today! And have a wonderful weekend my friends!

Pray for them....

I, like many MANY other people, grew to love this:



Now, I'm very sad for them:



I don't know what to say. But I do KNOW what to DO. I must pray for them. I must pray for each and every one of them. I must pray that our Almighty and Powerful God will reach them, touch them, bless them and grace them. I must pray that they will reach out to Him, invite Him back into their lives and their marriage.

Because like many, it is truly breaking my heart to see it in such a mess.

Frugal Summer Activities!

So we're still hitting the Dave Ramsey program as hard as we can. And SH's hours have been cut a bit more and we're expecting a cut and possible lay-off in the fall (did I sound calm? Really? Cuz I'M. NOT!). So we're trying to conserve our resources and not spend a bunch of money this summer. So it's got me thinking of our favorite summer cheap-o activities! Here are our favs:

1. Family exercise: SH & I grab the racquetball racquets, some balls and take the kids to the nearest court. We get in some exercise and the boys chase balls for us. Sounds silly and yes, it's absolutely free! We all love it! We realize we've only got a bit more time before they figure out chasing balls is not their idea of summer fun---so we'll keep at it until they do. LOL! Other things we do are bike riding, running while the kids ride their bikes, shooting hoops and whatever else strikes our fancy. Sometimes we just head to the nearest playground and we adults play like the kids. It's great frugal fun! We love that it instills the value of health with the boys and we all enjoy it. The boys like it so much they often are the first to suggest "Exercise Time"!

2. Movies: Our local Cobb Theatre does free kids movies three days a week. We love that! They are older movies and often we've seen them but hey! They are not in our living room and they are FREE! They offer this all summer long and change the movies weekly. Check with your local theatre.

3. Sprinkler Fun! We don't have a pool yet. And probably won't for several more years because of the initial cost and the maintenance. So we pull out the hose and sprinkler head and the boys go to town! They still really enjoy running through the sprinkler and then taking the hose and "washing" the vehicles! I love it because I can sit in the shade and read AND get the cars washed. Great exchange!

4. Head to the Beach! I realize this isn't an option for everyone. We live in central Florida so the beaches are relatively close to us. It can be a pretty cheap day if we pack our lunch, snacks and drinks. Most of the time, we hit a beach with free parking. So our only expense is the fuel to get to our destination. It's fantastic and a HUGE reason we live in Florida! If you don't live near a beach, is there a park with a lake?

5. Board Games: Our boys are just now getting old enough to learn to play board games. And they are enjoying them. We'll take advantage of this cheap entertainment for as long as we can!

6. Pull out the X-Box: Not my idea of a great time but SH and the boys really enjoy it. After the initial expense, using it over time isn't really expensive. SH usually gets games second hand so he spends very little on those. Big Boy is getting rather good at racing cars. We try to find games suitable for them and if I have my way, throw in a little education too. So I prefer things that make the boys learn their colors or counting. I will say that I ROCK on Guitar Hero though!

7. Arts and Crafts:: I try to do a crafty project with the boys at least three times a week. They love play-doh, painting, sidewalk chalk, water play, drawing, mazes....I could go on and on.
(all photos courtesy of flickr.com)
8. Hit the Library Honestly, before last year, we never went to the library. Maybe once in a blue moon, so to speak. But now it is an absolute staple every week. The boys love story time. We hang out in the kid's area for a couple of hours, reading books, putting together puzzles. Then we leave with a whole lotta books, movies, and books-on-CD. This is truly one of our favorite weekly activities. OH! And we always stop to feed the geese and ducks at the lake across the street!

So there are a few of our favorite, VERY FRUGAL summer outings! It really Works for Me--spending time with the family without spending a lot of dough! What do you do on the cheap in the summer?

Head on over to We Are That Family for more great WFMW tips and see what everyone else is doing this summer!

It's been raining a LOT lately....

Sometimes, you don't need water.....you just need a little imagination!

CANNONBALLLLLLLLL!